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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "LILIAN KNIGHT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lilianknight_clyale@outlook.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 10:13:31 +0100
Subject: My Dear Friend,

My Dear Friend,

I am Mrs. Lilian Knight a seasoned banker with Clydesdale Bank here in London and I wish to request for your assistance in a deal that involves £7.2M (Seven million, Two Hundred Thousand Great British pounds sterling) with our Bank. This deal by virtue of its nature must be utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that this will be done under a legitimate arrangement that will protect both of us from any breach of the law. I came to know you in my private search for a reliable and reputable Business Person/individual that can handle this confidential deal with me, which required maximum confidence and trust from both sides.

MY PROPOSITION;

I am an account officer to one of the dormant accounts with our bank that belong to one of our deceased customer Mr. Paul Louis Halley a French citizen rich man that was into several business here in London before his death along with his wife in an air crash. Before their untimely death our customer deposited the Sum of £7.2M (Seven million, Two Hundred Thousand Great British pounds sterling) with our bank here in London.

This website will give you comprehensive picture of what I am talking about (http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/4537663.stm). During the bank audit exercise, it was discovered that a lot of accounts has been dormant as an unclaimed credit balance, hence our management decided during the current re-capitalization in our banking sector, to phase out all accounts that has been dormant. I being the account officer to late Mr. Paul Louis Halley, I have made several inquiries to his high commission to locate my client's extended relatives, but all my efforts proved abortive, I then decided to trace his relatives or family member over the internet, and hence I found you as my instinct convinces me that you will be a trustworthy and honest business partner and I decided to contact you to assist me in repatriating my late client's deposit before it got confiscated or declared unserviceable by our bank, Clydesdale Bank here in London.

I therefore wish to request for your assistance and permission to present you as the appointed next of kin to Mr. Paul Louis Halley so that the £7.2M (Seven million, Two Hundred Thousand Great British pounds sterling) can be released and paid into your account as the beneficiary. Be informed that this transaction is risk free otherwise I will not contact you because it is against our bank policy. Please get in touch with me immediately if you are interested to assist me by furnishing me with the following information;

1. Your full names
2. Your full address
3. Direct Telephone numbers

Looking forward to your prompt response in my private email: lilianknight_clyale@outlook.com

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Lilian Knight

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